Raven Rattle Item Number: A2468 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Brown wood rattle with the top piece in the general shape of a raven that has a reclining man on its back with his protruding tongue held in the beak of a bird's head which sits opposite him on the raven's back and the bottom piece in the shape of a rounded semi-oval emphasized by an incised hawk's face on the belly of the raven with a recurved beak. The rattle is split horizontally through the body and through part of the handle. The upper and lower sections are joined at two places on each side with small withes tied through holes. Nails have been used to secure the top part of the bird's head and string binds the handle. The handle projects from the raven's tail. The raven has black ovoid eyes surrounded by a plain tapering oval and a black ovoid. The black head has a plain circular nostrils and there is a red disc in the red lined beak. The reclining man on top has its head resting on an inverted red split u. The man's flat face has similar facial features to that of the raven, except for the nose which is black. The man has a red body with four digit black hands and four digit red feet. The bird's head which is opposite to him and connected by the tongue also has similar facial features, except there are no nostrils and there is a red u form within a black one at either bottom side. The raven's side wings are plain with vertical black dashes. The raven's tail has a black ovoid along the upper part and four red and black feathers. The bottom piece that is the belly of the raven has a hawk's face with black ovoid in ovoid eyes surrounded by a tapering oval and a black ovoid, a red u form below at either side, a black beak nose, and an open red mouth showing fifteen black teeth and a red tongue. Below, there is a vertically bisymmetrical red design consisting of eye forms and a beak with a pair of black u forms above along with a black triangle below and around the sides, a black ovoid eye form with a red split u above. Above the hawk's face, there is a vertically bisymmetrical red design consisting of eye forms with a pair of black u forms below and s shapes above.
History Of Use
Raven rattles were carried by chiefs when dancing and also were used to emphasize a speaker's words.
Iconographic Meaning
Raven is a trickster/creator mythological hero, portrayed carrying the sun, his gift to mankind.
Specific Techniques
Appears to have been made using steel tools (H. Green, 2018).
Cultural Context
ceremonial
Item History
- Made in British Columbia, Canada
- Owned by Walter C. Koerner before April 8, 1976
- Received from Walter C. Koerner (Donor) on April 8, 1976
What
Who
- Culture
- Northwest Coast
- Previous Owner
- Walter C. Koerner
- Received from
- Walter C. Koerner (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- British Columbia, Canada
When
- Ownership Date
- before April 8, 1976
- Acquisition Date
- on April 8, 1976
Other
- Condition
- fair
- Current Location
- Case 31
- Accession Number
- 0336/0154